Saturday, 1 October 2016

Effects of Homesickness and University Challenges on the mental health of students

Ronald talks about the challenges faced by freshers at university and to overcome them.

- Ronald Mccarthy

University Image in the minds of Students and Reality:

Whenever we talk about university life in the earlier stages of academics like secondary level/O Levels or higher secondary/A level, it appears very alluring to young people. But when it comes to actually being a part of university, all the charms and attractions wipe away suddenly and students get worried. This tensed and stressed situation leads to unstable mental health most of the times. There are various reasons for this phenomenon. The most contributing factor is homesickness along with the fear of some other challenges faced in university.

Although the whole university life is challenging, freshmen year is particularly difficult. In the Middle East, students keep listening from their elders that education after higher secondary level is so simple and comfortable. But when a recently graduated student from college enters into the realm of higher education, they are startled by the environment of university.

Challenges

Hours and Diet:

In the fields of medical and engineering, a typical University day totals to about 8 hours, which is more than school and college hours. It has a marked impact on a student’s mind. Despite of the utter efforts of university welfare services, the quality of food is always less than the quality of food at home. Many students suffer from stomach diseases due to bad quality food. And with reference to a Latin saying “A sound mind in a sound body” an unhealthy person can’t be healthy mentally. So maintaining physical health in university is one of the biggest challenges for students.

Home Sickness:

The actual meaning of the saying “East or West, Home is the best” is revealed when you are far away from home. There are two possible things that can happen to students in the early stages of university. Either they get habitual with the environment or they struggle, which is very damaging for their mental comfort. Getting rid of this home sickness syndrome is very difficult for some people.

Senior’s Behavior:

Along with the disconnectedness from home, another distressful thing which the newcomers in university experience is the behavior of seniors. There is a norm of bullying in most of the universities of Europe and Asia. Freshmen are very scared of being bullied in the early days of university. Some students know how to tackle the seniors but some take it personally and get worried which causes a very deep impact on their mental health.

How to cope with these challenges:

Some of the problems discussed above only reside for one year, such as; the fear of bullying and homesickness. But some issues remain permanently in the whole university life. The challenges of first year in university can be tackled by educating the students about the issues at a parental level as well as administration level. Such kinds of issues aren’t addressed at administration level mostly, so it’s the responsibility of parents to explain this to their children. There is a strong need of telling them that bullying isn’t official and that they can always inform the authorities.

Long term issues can be resolved by proper management of budget and time in university. Physical health can be maintained by eating a healthy diet, fresh fruits and vegetables etc. Avoiding fast foods is also mandatory to remain healthy. When you’ll be physically healthy, your mind will be healthy and your academic situation will be better as well. So the best way to be mentally and educationally efficient is to be healthy. For more information on finding support at university, click here.For more information on starting university, click here.

The Student Minds blog is the UK's biggest blog on student wellbeing and mental health. We believe students should have a place to speak up about their experiences of living with mental health difficulties and show others that they are not alone. If you're a student, or recent student, with an experience you want to share, or tips on how to deal with the different challenges that uni life brings, get in touch.

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Student Minds is the UK’s student mental health charity. We empower students and members of the university community to look after their own mental health, support others and create change. Find out more here.